


I'll Fly Away

by nikogda



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Author Louis, BUT HES OK, Cats, Fluff, Harry gets sad, Implied Sexual Content, Kinda Baker Harry, M/M, Married Couple, Nudity, blind cat, heavily implied, mentions of pot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2020-01-24 08:16:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18567445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nikogda/pseuds/nikogda
Summary: “Harold,” Louis spoke, but not too loud. He didn’t want to startle the cat pile.“Louis? What are you doing home?” Harry greeted him with a toothy smile.“Why are there three cats?” Louis pointed at the third one.“That’s Hail. He’s so sweet.”Louis blinked and shook his head slightly. “Why is he on the sofa, in the house, on the cats?”“He lives here now,” Harry stated as if Louis should already be aware of this.He was not aware of this news until now. “Since when?” He poked the cat in the head, his tiny black curtained head with white ears popped up. He mewed softly before blinking a few times.Louis thinks he looked offended. He looked at Harry expectantly. Harry looked fond.“For three days now.” He smiled at Louis. It reminded him of Dori smiling at Marlin in Finding Nemo.Or, Louis and Harry live in a small town in Texas of just over 500 people and Harry seems to be growing cats in his garden. Love and fluff.





	I'll Fly Away

**Author's Note:**

> The error of my writing ways has been fixed by, Lynda! Thank you so much for going over it. I appreciate it and you so much! (She's at wait4ever.tumblr)  
> This was something I wanted to do for myself. I love cats and they do not get put in fics and I wanted it to happen. So I told someone I would do it myself. The thing I had _sort of_ planned and what ended up happening are two different things. The place is real, the land is real, the description of the place is real and all very, very dear to me, my cousins, and my brother. It was our home away from home and it is now abandoned and falling apart. Our lives are still in the barn now. I wanted the place to exist somewhere else so I did this. If you read it, thank you for reading it!

The sun was slowly setting while Louis walked home. He glanced at the sky, pale blue hues that slowly mixed with yellow and orange, a hint of white in between the colours along the horizon. The sun looked massive as it slowly went down, a large orange ball cut in half by the earth. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans, kicking a large rock as he walked along the side of the road. On his way home from work at a small family-owned grocery store where he would stock and sometimes cashier.  He lived in a small town of roughly five hundred people. A cotton community in the heart of Texas. It was small and everyone knew his name, especially since he came from England. It was small and it felt like home.

It was different and it had been what he needed. A home away from home, a home away from the busy world around him. A place to quietly live, to quietly write. He loved to write, he wrote what he wanted to read and began to self publish. Eventually, he got picked up by a company, wanting to make a deal with him and he took it. He took it and he moved away to a small town in Texas called Ropesville. He bought a farm with a pink beige home that sat on a slight hill and gave his sister, Lottie the keys to his London home. He walked the dirt road towards his home, glancing behind him as he watched a stray dog trotting through the cemetery and he turned back, glancing at the disappearing sun and smiled.

He loved everything about his life right now, where he was, what he did. He didn’t have to work at the store, but he liked to be busy and he liked to do something. He met the owners one day and the woman had taken a liking to him, offered him a part-time job. He’d said he didn’t need one but she kept asking him. He eventually took it and has enjoyed it for the past two years. Louis jogged up the three cracked steps to the concrete porch of his home and opened the door, smelling the rich sweet smell of chocolate cupcakes, a heavy caramel smell following the chocolate and he smiled widely.

He kicked his shoes off by the front door and walked through the small living area towards the kitchen, seeing a couple of dozen cupcakes on the table that was built into the wall. A horrible muted mustard coloured table, the kitchen had floral wallpaper that Louis had wanted to take down. He walked over and wrapped his arms around Harry’s back and pressed his nose into his shoulder, the sweet smell of baking and the overall smell of Harry made him smile more, smile even brighter than he had been before. This was another perfect thing in his life. He got to marry his best friend.

Harry made custom cupcakes for parties, weddings, what have you and he enjoyed it. He could turn anything into a cupcake and was always experimenting with them.  Louis felt a nudge at his ankle and he looked down to find the white persian rubbing along his ankle and he let go of Harry to reach down and pick the cat up. Nuzzling his face into the long snow-white fur.  

“How have you been today?” He asked, running his finger up and down her pink nose, it was marked with a grey patch on the bridge. She purred and Harry turned around.

“I’m good, love. How was work?” He asked and Louis looked up at him.

“Oh, that’s great but I was asking Gypsy.” Louis leaned down and kissed her between the eyes and she fought him to let her down.

He leaned down, sat her down on the ugly brown squared flooring, it was carpet. Who put carpet in a kitchen? Louis stood up and arched his back with a sigh before looking at Harry, he’d gone back to washing the dishes from his baking. Louis tugged on the back of Harry’s shirt, causing Harry to glance at him. He smiled a dimple popping and turned off the water.

“You love the cat more than me,” Harry spoke as he leaned in for a kiss.

“Well of course” Louis smiled against Harry’s lips kissing him gently.

They stood there in the darkening kitchen as the sun slowly faded beyond the horizon, trading slow kisses with Harry’s hands wrapped around Louis’ neck and Louis’ hands around Harry’s waist. Wrapped around each other as Harry hummed softly in the soft kiss before he pulled away, smiling.

“I absolutely love you.” He smiled and Louis blinked and smiled in return.

Louis felt like he was always smiling, Harry told him he should always be smiling. “I love you so much. Thank you for coming with me. This place is ugly as shit but-”

“But it has a history. It was someone’s home, people raised a family here. Watched their grandchildren grow and grow and move away. Life was lived here and love was shared here. It’s perfect the way it is.” Louis nodded, Harry was right.

He’d had this plan when he found this small two bedroom home. A plan to paint it and redo it. Maybe even add on to it. Harry had come a week later than Louis and immediately nixed everything Louis had said after he found a small photo album up in a closet in the guest room. A photo album that showed a family on the farm. Children on a chain swing. Two girls riding toy tractors with a grandmother holding another girl who looked to be the youngest. He immediately looked at Louis and said the house needed to stay the way it was, the way it was loved. Louis had agreed because the look on Harry’s face was something else. A mixture of sadness and content.

Louis placed another small kiss on Harry’s lips before heading to have a quick shower, he’d spilt a case of sodas and they had spewed everywhere. Working in sticky wet clothing was horrible until they dried, then his jeans just felt stiff. As the water heated in the small standing shower, in the small bathroom that had been added on years ago he removed his clothes and put them in the hamper that was hidden in a small closet with a sliding door. When Louis had first gotten there, there had been a few plaid button-down shirts that had a heavy cotton farm smell to them. He left them and Harry snatched them up and boxed them up. They sit in the top of the closet now, a grandfather’s shirts from years ago. Some buttons shimmered with ivory and a silver ring around them. Harry said he bets the man wore them to church. Louis thinks he may be right.

Louis stepped into the hot weak spray of the shower and sighed as his muscles relaxed under the water. He closed his eyes for a moment before grabbing the shampoo off the floor of the shower. He hums a tune that had played on the radio in the store as he washes his hair and rinses it out. He debates using conditioner and decides to just wash up and get out. He’s tired and his feet ache and he smiles again, this time to himself. As Louis washes his body he sees the blurred silhouetted form of his husband walk in.

“Got some clean towels for you, laid it on the counter,” Harry speaks before he turns and leaves. Gone as quick as he came.

Louis rinses off before shutting off the water and steps out onto the rug by the shower, digging his toes into the shaggy carpeting of the weird pink rug. He reaches for the light yellow towel and brings it to his face. It’s warm and soft, the airy scent of the fabric softener lingering around him as he pulls the towel away.

After Louis has dried off and thrown on a pair of worn out joggers that he thinks may actually be Harry’s he goes out front in search of his husband. Knowing he doesn’t have to look very far when the weather is nice. He finds him sitting on the concrete porch, his legs dangling off the edge. It's got astroturf on top of it and makes a weird echo if you stomp your feet. Louis sits down beside him, his bare toes brushing across the sharp grass.

Harry is watching the cows wander in the field. They don’t own them but Louis had agreed the owner of the dozen large animals could keep them there as he had no use for the land. The man had insisted on paying rent, as he’d not ever expected someone to buy the old farmhouse. Louis refused but the man found ways to give it to him. Louis finally agreed but brought the price down. Now every month they get a pie and a check and Louis lets Harry give money to the small schools, all two of them. It’s not much but Harry and Louis don’t need it. There are two horses now, they stand by an old large oak tree near the dirt road. Seem hesitant of the cows and Louis draws his attention towards the sky. One by one the stars come out, flickers of colours and Louis smiles, tapping Harry on the shoulder. Harry looks over at him and Louis leans in, kissing him quickly before laying his head on Harry’s shoulder. The distant chirping of crickets and buzz of bugs flying around slowly bring the night in as they sit there, watching the stars come out and the lights dance in the distance.

Before long they agree to head in, have a cup of tea and head to bed. Laying curled up in each other side by side in the still of the spring night.

★★L★★

A few days later Louis was walking up the dirt road after dark. The sky wasn’t littered with stars, in their place where heavy deep grey clouds that occasionally lit up with lightning, a distant rumble promising a storm in the distance. He offered to stay late for work because it was inventory and it was a lot for the couple to handle. They had a few teens who worked but the couple would rather they be on the register or help stock. He saw a light in the distance at the back of the house, the dark shape of what was likely his husband carrying it as he headed to the large barn they didn’t bother with. It was old and needed to be torn down, but it contained years and years of memories of people long gone. Harry didn’t have the heart to let go of the things that were not his.

“If we don’t keep them, whos going to remember them?” He’d asked Louis one night, his mind going like a hamster on a wheel after Louis had brought some pot home from one of the delivery guys at the store.

Louis had attempted to get Harry to agree on letting the barn be removed, offering up his stoned husband better ideas in place. A whole area for Harry’s baking had piqued Harry’s interest. The response that followed was mildly depressing, Harry did not want the barn changed at all. Louis let it go after that, forgetting about the barn until part of it caved in. It was an empty part of the barn and it was the man who keeps his cows on Louis’ land who now came and fixed it. Told Louis that it was best to let the thing be torn down. Louis agreed but shrugged, “The other one won’t agree to it.” The kind old man, who upon finding out that Harry and Louis were married had admitted he didn’t understand, but he also said it was none of his business with a bright smile, had laughed and said his wife and Harry are a lot alike.

Louis headed into the house, kicking his shoes off at the door like always before locking the front door and headed towards the kitchen. On the ugly coloured table was a plate wrapped in tinfoil with a heart and an xo marked on it. He smiled and turned the plate a little before heading towards the porch that held the washer and dryer, directly to the right was the built on small bathroom with barely any room. He spotted the folded light yellow towel and placed a hand on it, slight warmth lingered from the dryer and Louis smiled before turning on the shower and stripping from his clothes.

After Louis had showered and put on a pair of shorts he headed into the kitchen and spotted Harry at the sink. He was humming to himself, his small bun poking up at the top of his head. Louis walked over and pressed his hand to the small of Harry’s back, causing him to jump and drop the silverware he was washing.

“Lou! You scared the shit out of me,” His wet hand was against his chest, the thin white shirt sticking to his skin as he removed his hand.

Louis put his hand on Harry’s stomach and leaned forward, kissing Harry softly as an apology. “What were you doing out in the barn?” Louis asked as he pulled back.

Harry shrugged, “Heard a noise is all.”

“So you go out and look? We have coyotes out here. Don’t do that.” Louis scolded, watching Harry frown.

“I’m not a child.” Harry huffed and Louis tugged him forward and kissed his jawline. It was rough from the lack of shaving and Louis could purr at the scratch against his lips.

“I know you’re not, I just don’t want anything to happen to you.” Louis nipped at Harry’s jaw and tugged him by the belt strap of his jeans.

“You haven’t eaten, Louis. It’ll get cold” Harry pouted and Louis turned, pulling Harry towards their bedroom door that opened into the kitchen.

“I’d rather eat something else, now come on.” He tugged harder and Harry snorted, following without complaint.

★★L★★

Louis woke up around noon the next day, the sun blinding him once he opened his eyes and he groaned, rolling over and out of bed. Harry always opened the windows in the morning to let in the cool air of the early spring morning before he got busy around the house or baking cupcakes. Or just being Harry. And it was something that Louis absolutely despised. He did not wish to wake up to birds chirping and the sun beaming in on him. He liked waking to quiet and not being blinded. He saw his shorts folded neatly on the chair that sat between their closet doors. They once were his and hers once upon a time. Now it was Harry and Louis’ closets. An H and an L painted on each door. 

He tugged the shorts on and headed into the bathroom down the small hall for his morning routine. It was all a deep yellow, kind of muted near mustard but not that much, Louis found it confusing because he’d say yellow and Harry would argue. But it was small deep yellow shutters on the small frosted windows, a deep yellow tub that was too low for Harry to get into without his back bothering him yet he still did once a week. A deep yellow toilet that was set back between the wall and a cabinet built into another wall, minimal privacy but allowed room for one to walk to the tub if someone was on the toilet, Louis shrugged at the concept but figured that is why it was set back. All this was wrapped up with a pink cover for the toilet lid and pink rugs. Yellow that was obnoxious and horrible yet they couldn’t change a thing because of  _ memories _ . Harry would say as if he had never said it before.

Louis wandered into the kitchen, spotting a plate of breakfast on the table and smiled. He looked into the living room and didn’t see Harry. Louis grabbed the two slices of cold bacon off the plate, biting into one as he walked through the small living area, sticking his feet into some slip-on shoes before walking out the front door. The warmth of the spring day washed over him and he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He looked up at the sky in the distance, not a cloud in sight. Bright blue peering back at him as he squinted towards the whiteness of the sun. He finished the bacon on the porch as he watched the cows graze and a calf flopping down behind a tree.

After a few more minutes Louis jumped off the side of the porch and rounded to the side of the house, a large oak tree with chains from a makeshift swing still torn into the long thick limb swayed in the light breeze. Louis looked towards the barn in the short distance and found the door open. He started towards it, getting to the propane tank before he heard his name. He glanced over his shoulder, spotting Harry by the back door of the house. 

Louis turned around, forgetting about the barn and walked towards his husband. He had something in his arms and he looked like an excited child. Louis hesitated a few feet away when he saw a long black tail swaying back and forth. 

“Put it back.” 

“No! It’s so cute, Lou. Please? Look at her, she’s darling.” Harry held her out like Rafiki to Simba. Louis was endeared. By Harry, not the cat he was holding out like an offering.

“No.” Louis backed up as Harry took two steps forward.

“Just look at her! She’s so precious.”

“So is Gypsy and one is too many.”

Harry pouted, pulling the cat back into his arms and tucking her head beneath his chin. Her small eyes blinked closed a purr drifting through the air and Louis sighed, “Fine but you need to make sure she doesn't belong to anyone else or have any diseases.”

Harry beamed, “Already did.”

“What?” Louis blinked a few times before frowning, “Already did? Without asking me?”

“I mean, I knew you’d say yes so.”

“See if I ever eat your ass again.” Louis stalked passed Harry and the far too cute cat to go back inside.

“I’ll just eat yours instead.” Harry hollered before following Louis inside.

“Don’t say that in front of the cats” Louis responded, going over to Gypsy who was currently licking cold butter off his toast. He lightly poked her in the side before picking her up.

“What are you naming the new one?” Louis asked as he watched Harry hold her out towards Gypsy. Gypsy meowed before wiggling out of Louis’ hold.

Harry gently sat the younger cat down, watching as Gypsy immediately started to lick the smaller black cat.

“Clover” Harry stated in such a way that Louis knew there was absolutely no way to change his mind.

He watched the two female felines interacting peacefully and looked up at his husband, watching him watch them. The fond smile crossing his lips with his arms crossed and his hip popped out. Louis walked over to him and hugged him tightly.

“I love you.” He whispered into Harry’s neck.

Louis felt Harry’s arms wrap securely around his waist, pulling him in tightly. “I love you too.”

★★L★★

Life moved slowly by for them over the next few weeks. Louis would take shifts at the small store and walk home in the early evenings. Often finding Harry out of sight when he came home, but finding their two cats lurking around somewhere or playing in the guest room where they kept the cat tree and toys. Sometimes they’d be in the window sill of the large picture window above the awful deep rose coloured velvet sofa, watching as he walked towards the awful pink beige house. He would go have a shower, the same yellow towel sat out for him when he went in, if it wasn’t already out it would be waiting for him. He’d have dinner and they’d cuddle up on the porch and watch the stars come out. See how they shined and danced above them in the spring night.

They’d sometimes go back inside, Louis would write, get in the moment and knock out page after page of words until he started to question their spelling. “Smile looks weird, how do you spell smile?” He’d asked one night.

“S-m-i-l-e” Harry had responded, looking up from a magazine he’d bought at the store in town.

“Huh, looks weird.” He’d take his glasses off and save his work, even though it automatically saved, and rub his temples. 

They’d close up the house and head to bed. Lay there together in the dark of the night, the twinkling distance lights of the far off highway leaving a line of glowing circles as Louis would blink his eyes closed, slowly letting sleep slip over him with Harry’s body against his own.

Other times they’d undress each other, their hands leaving light touches in comfortable silence before one of them would pull the other apart with lips and hands in places only meant for them. With movements that drew heavy gasps and low moans in the darkness of their bedroom leaving them spent and sweaty and wrapped up in each other until they fell asleep.

It was so routine, so comfortable. Louis couldn’t imagine changing anything about the way his life was. His sisters would call him, they planned to finally come and visit and Louis was over the moon about it. Harry’s family had already come and visited a few times and Louis was beyond ready to see his sisters again. It would be a few months yet before it happened but he was already excited for it. 

One day he got home early, hoping to surprise Harry as he walked down the long dirt road to his home and headed into the house. He spotted the cats on the sofa, all curled up in a pile together. The dust particles dancing through the rays of sunlight above them and he smiled at all three of them. His shoes kicked off by the door as he started towards the kitchen, the sound of the fridge closing before he halted. Louis turned around slowly and looked at the little furry pile on the ugly rose velvet sofa. He narrowed his eyes and walked over to them and poked the black and white shorthair who was laying on top of Clover.

“Harold,” Louis spoke, but not too loud. He didn’t want to startle the cat pile.

“Louis? What are you doing home?” Harry greeted him with a toothy smile. 

“Why are there three cats?” Louis pointed at the third one.

“That’s Hail. He’s so sweet.” 

Louis blinked and shook his head slightly. “Why is he on the sofa, in the house, on the cats?” 

“He lives here now,” Harry stated as if Louis should already be aware of this.

He was not aware of this news until now. “Since when?” He poked the cat in the head, his tiny black curtained head with white ears popped up. He mewed softly before blinking a few times.

Louis thinks he looked offended. He looked at Harry expectantly. Harry looked fond.

“For three days now.” He smiled at Louis. It reminded him of Dori smiling at Marlin in Finding Nemo. 

Louis blinked once, twice, he shook his head and sighed. “Vets?”

“Done, and he will be fixed next week. Clover too!”

“No more cats,” Louis commanded, waving his finger at Harry.

At Harry who just nodded and smiled, “Got it. No more.” He came off like a child getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar and Louis sighed.

Louis followed Harry as he turned and headed into the kitchen, the sweetness in the air was almost overwhelming. It was kind of nauseating to Louis. He frowned and Harry nudged him.

“Sorry, it’s so sweet smelling in here.”

“I know. I had to bake three different types of cupcakes today. I started at four and you rolled out of bed and left before I could even get a kiss.” Harry pouted, leaning forward before puckering his lips at Louis.

Louis smiled and leaned forward, placing a solid kiss on Harry’s lips with a smile. Louis hid a yawn behind his hand and watched as Harry pulled stuff to make sandwiches with out of the fridge.

“I made, white chocolate cupcakes, chocolate cherry cupcakes, and strawberry and lemon frosted cupcakes. I do not have anything to make for two weeks. I do not want to smell cupcakes in this house, for that long.” Harry spoke, adding mustard to bread before laying the ham on gently.

Louis sat at the table and watched him, humming in acknowledgement before yawning. He was so tired, he felt like he could go to sleep already. But it was too early for him to do that, even a nap would have him up at a weird hour. He wanted to spend his time with his husband. Just sit and stare at him, maybe kiss him a little. He smiled to himself as he got up out of the chair and walked over to Harry. Harry turned around with a plate that had a sandwich on it. Louis took the plate and put his hands on the counter on either side of Harry. Louis leaned in and brushed his lips over Harry's. Harry smiled and moved forward, pressing his lips against Louis’. The sun was slipping in through part of the small kitchen window above the sink. A slight ray of sunlight casting across the kitchen. The top of their heads casting shadows on the fridge.

Louis just wanted to stand there and kiss Harry, feel their lips together and hear the little hums that Harry would make when he was pleased as they made out in their kitchen. He could do this all day, would do this all day if he wasn’t getting tired of standing. Harry must have noticed Louis shifting his weight on his feet because he pulled away and tugged Louis towards the bedroom. Louis pulled the sliding door closed to their room, watching as Harry picked up a calico cat and carefully tossed it into the hall and closed that door also.

Louis’ eyebrows knitted together, looking at the unfamiliar cat. He pointed at the door, about to speak before he turned his attention back to Harry who was currently stripping. His eyebrows shot up and he shrugged, beginning to remove his own clothing and making his way to the bed that Harry was now sprawled out across. The calico cat long-forgotten.

★★H★★

Louis stayed oblivious to the calico feline roaming around the house, sometimes curled up with the other three cats who now lived amongst Harry and Louis. Harry would watch, biting his lip every time Louis passed the cat snoozing on the floor. Harry was cuddling the calico, Starla, in his lap. Her golden eyes peered up at him, blinking a few times as the sunlight cast down through the bedroom window. Harry scratched under her chin and smiled, feeling her purr softly. He could hear Louis moving around in the kitchen as he cleaned up after lunch. He’d taken a few days off work to finish a book he needed to get done and have sent to his editor, Liam. Harry had woken up with the small calico under his blanket curled up against his stomach and pulled her out from her little sleeping place after he knew Louis had left the bedroom.

He could hear him talking on his phone with a mouth full of food. He rolled his eyes, hoping that Louis didn’t have the other person on facetime. He loved Louis but he really wanted to get up and go smack him upside his head for talking with his mouth full. Harry pulled Starla up to his face and snuggled her before setting her down in the floor and watched as she crept towards the hallway before running out of the room. If Harry didn’t know better, he’d think she was aware that Louis was oblivious to her being in the house. Harry peeked out of the bedroom finding his husband sitting on the counter beside the sink, his bare feet kicking against the wooden cabinets. Harry wanders out of the bedroom in all his naked glory, walking over to Louis who only has on boxer briefs, his mouth full as he hums an acknowledgement into the phone. 

Harry puts both his hands on either side of Louis’ thighs and leans forward, kissing his jaw softly. Louis starts to talk, responding to the person on the other end of the conversation as Harry moves his hands to Louis’ thigh and slides them up. His fingers sliding inward as they move, he hears Louis swallow and his voice deepen. Harry smirks and drags his teeth along the side of Louis’ neck, nipping softly at the flesh before he presses his teeth in. He feels Louis’ hand grab his left wrist and his blunt nails digging into Harry’s skin as Harry works on Louis’ neck. Harry smiles as he pulls back and leans forward, kissing Louis on the corner of his mouth before he moves away. Swaying his hips as he walks around the kitchen in the nude to prepare breakfast. He glances at the clock, rethinks his options for food and prepares a brunch, maybe closer to lunch.

He shrugs to himself as he grabs a match and strikes it, lighting the old gas stove. Harry takes a deep breath and yawns, looking over at Louis who is still on the phone, nodding his head from side to side. Louis’ eyes glance over at Harry and he smiles.

He shrugs to himself as he grabs a match and strikes it, lighting the old gas stove. Harry takes a deep breath and yawns, looking over at Louis who is still on the phone, nodding his head from side to side. Louis’ eyes glance over at Harry and he smiles.

“ ‘M on hold.” He offers before he asks, “How did you sleep?”

“Good, babe. You?” Harry watches as Louis nods and perks up, he opens his mouth and begins to speak.

Harry tunes him out and goes about making himself some food, humming quietly to himself. His life is so simple and very repetitive. It used to actually be a bothersome thing for him. Waking up at the same time, doing the same things day in and day out. Until one day it didn’t. Until one day he woke up and looked over to see Louis laying beside him. Eyes blinking up at him in the bright morning light. His face was expressionless, he was still waking up and Harry just watched him with a slight smile. His own eyes scanning over Louis’ sleepy expressionless face. Scanning the specs of grey in his hair, the redness of his beard and the spots of wrinkles around his eyes. And after that, the mundane repetitive life Harry felt he was living was the best life. He’d wake up to the man he loved more than anything, to his best friend. See him first thing in the morning and get to make him food that he loved. Give him backrubs and make him happy.

Harry sat a plate of food beside Louis as he spoke on the phone, his demeanour trying to be professional in his yellow boxer briefs as he kicked his feet off the cabinet doors. Louis ran a hand down Harry’s arm after he sat the plate own and Harry nodded before grabbing a bag of food from behind Louis and heading to the guest room. He opened the door and found three cats sprawled out on the guest bed. He walked over to the large bowl he’d bought and poured some dry food into it and looked at the water dish. He checked the litter box in the empty closet with the sliding door. He sits on the bed and lays back on his back. Closing his eyes as he hears the sound of Louis’ laughter fill the silence around him. Another smile crosses his lips and he tilts his head back, looking at the calico cat that is staring back with her golden eyes. He reaches above him and rubs his thumb over her ear. It twitches and she meows softly with a slight purr behind it.

It’s warm in the guest room, well slash cat room because they have no guests. Harry misses his family, lets himself have a moment where he misses them and wants to call them. Wants to be hugged by his Mum and sister and see them face to face and not through a screen. He makes a mental note to call them both today. He hears Louis ending the call and sits up, leaving the cat room to go towards their bedroom and put some clothes on. As Harry is picking out some clothes to put on, he’s intercepted by Louis who wraps his arms around him and kisses him softly.

“Thank you,” Louis whispers before kissing Harry again.

“For what?” Harry asks, running his thumb along Louis’ cheek.

“For uprooting your life to move to a small town in Texas that you didn’t even know existed. For moving your cat and your life for me. For all that you do for me. I wouldn’t be able to do anything without you.”

Harry shakes his head, “You can do anything without me, Lou. I love you and would follow you anywhere. I am happy here and I love it here. Wherever you are, it is my home.”

Louis nods, and tugs on Harry’s hair. It’s messy and he loves it. “Yeah well, I don’t thank you enough is all. I know you miss your family. But I am so happy you're on this journey with me through life.” 

“Nowhere that I would rather be, Louis.”

And he means it with everything in him. No matter how much Harry misses his family and London, there is no way he would never not want to be with Louis. He loves his family and his hometown, but he loves Louis so much. He really is finally happy with the simpleness of his life.

★★L★★

Louis is laying in bed around noon a few days later after having finally gotten his book sent off to his editor. He’s pleased with it and hopes it does well after all the editing is done and it goes to publishing. He’s excited because it’s the first in a series he is doing for young adults. Harry had made a snide remark one night over dinner about people being part animal and it caused Louis’ wheels to turn. He outlined a whole series about hybrid humans and humans having to join forces to find life on another planet.

It was nothing like he’d written before and he really had fun doing it. It was new and a challenge for him. He wanted to give up so many times but every time he looked over at Harry who was reading it as he went. He kept going for him because he saw how much joy the story was bringing his husband. Harry kept asking for more information and got pouty when Louis - who already knew the plot points for the second book and the outline - refused to tell him anything about the second book. Especially since Louis had left the first book off with a cliffhanger.

He rolled over, blinking up at the ceiling. The fan slowly turning above him, spinning particles of dust spinning around the rays of sunlight shining in an open window. He looked over at the dresser, his wedding photo propped up in all it’s eight by ten glory. His favourite picture of him and Harry. Harry smiling in his floral black and white suit, his curly hair falling over his shoulders. Louis in his black suit smiling at Harry. In so many of the pictures from their wedding day, he’s looking at Harry and smiling. He loves that man and he would do anything for that man. And he is amazed every day that he has followed him from the UK all the way to Texas of all places. A town of just over five hundred on an old farm, in an old dated home. A home Harry has fallen in love with and worked to keep the memories it held alive. Even though it isn’t Harry’s family he finds pieces of the family hidden away. Names carved on trees, toys hidden in the dirt when digging for his new garden, and photo albums covered in dust hidden away in closest.

Louis knows the barn holds so many more things and he won’t go in there, because he feels like he’s intruding. But he knows Harry wanders out there and spends time looking through the things from so many years ago. From the thirties to the forties. Down to the nineties. He sits up and the blankets pool in his lap, a soft furry sensation rubs across his left leg and he reaches under to scratch the cat who’s sharing the bed with him. Instead of a purr or a meow, he gets nipped at and he frowns. Louis lifts the blanket up and peeks under, frowning at the ball of fur that he does not recognize. 

He groans and gets up out of bed, going over to the dresser and opening it to pull out a pair of shorts and tugs them on before heading over to the bed. He picks up the small calico and holds it out in front of him with two arms. 

“Harold!” He yells out, the cat meows and he sighs before pulling the nipping feline to his chest. 

He heads into the kitchen to find nobody there before going into the living room and again, no one around. He goes to the back door and pokes his head outside, yelling once again for Harry before heading back into the kitchen and setting the cat on the table. He’s standing there staring at the calico who blinks her golden eyes back at him. After a few minutes, he hears the back door open and close and he looks over to see Harry walking in, dirt on his legs and arms.

“What’s up, babe?” Harry asks as he goes and washes his hands off.

“Who is this?” Louis points to the cat on the table. The cat looks at Harry and meows. Harry smiles at her, ignoring Louis to go over and lean down to kiss the calico on her head.

“Starla,” Harry finally responds and Louis groans, running his hands over his face. He frowns and grabs a tea towel and wipes the cat fur off his face and hands.

“Louis” Harry hesitates before going over to Louis who holds a hand out, stopping him with his hand on his chest.

“Another cat? Really, love? Why is there another cat in our house? That’s how many?” He asks Harry, dropping his hand. He’s not mad. He isn’t, honestly. He’s just mixed. He isn’t sure what he is but he is frustrated because cats don’t just grow in Harry’s garden.

Louis glances out the small kitchen window and looks at the garden, narrowing his eyes, at least he hopes they don’t. He pushes the idea for a kids book aside and looks back on Harry who’s been talking. He frowns and looks at the cat and then back at his husband. 

“What?” Louis asks and Harry licks his lips before going over to the cat and picks her up.

“I love her.” Harry held her up, her tiny face looking at Louis. She meows and blinks at him. Harry wiggles her from side to side, her long legs swaying.

Louis pokes her in the belly, he has a fondness for cat tummies and he runs his hand down her belly, “I know love but, we have three cats now?” 

Louis takes the cat that Harry is now pushing into his face and he curls her up in his arms, running his thumb over her small forehead.

“Yes, three babies for us. I take care of them and you didn’t even notice she was living here until today. So obviously she isn’t a bother.” Louis nodded his head to the side slightly, because Harry had a point.

He shrugged, “Yeah okay, but no more. And talk to me. Stop pulling them out of the garden.” 

Harry frowned, “Out of the what?” 

Louis shook his head, “Never mind love, so, Starla? So we have Gypsy, Clover, Hail, and Starla?”

Harry nodded and walked over to Louis, leaning in to kiss his cheek softly and run his hand over the calico’s soft fur. She was beautiful, Louis had to admit it. The brown circles that mixed with black had hints of ginger and she was small with a long tail. Her fur was slightly longer than Clover. Gypsy had long white and grey fur and was such a princess. Louis was falling in love, he handed the cat over to Harry.

“Okay, daddy.” He turned and walked away as Harry choked on air at the nickname.

★★L★★

Louis was running up the road towards his house, the heat of the late afternoon sun beaming down on him.  He wiped the sweat off his forehead with his shirt clutched in his other hand. He was getting antsy and waiting on his editor to get back to him. It had been two and a half weeks and he’d gone back to working a couple of hours at the small family-owned store. When he wasn’t there he would help Harry in the garden and lay with the cats. He’s started to write the second book already even though he doesn’t have to, he would rather get a head start because he knows eventually he’ll hit a mental block on writing and get stuck. He likes to be way ahead of schedule when it comes to his writing. He turns up the dirt road and slows to a jog for a quick walk, eventually coming to the edge of the sidewalk up to their small house and puts his hands on his knees, slowly breathing. His eyes are closed as he stands up, dropping his shirt to the ground and arching his back with his arms above his head.

His breathing evens out as he feels hands slip around his sweaty waist. A bare chest pressing against his bare back and he sighs, leaning his head back onto Harry’s shoulder.

“You smell like pot,” He says as he opens his eyes. A lone cloud has passed over the sun casting them in a light shade. He squints before closing his eyes as Harry kisses along his shoulder.

“Well I gave the cats some nip and got bored while you were gone,” Harry responds his lips against Louis’ shoulder.

“I hide both of those from you and you find them. What do you do? Send out a feline search party?” He tilts his head as Harry places small kisses up to his neck. 

He’s covered in sweat and Harry smells like weed and dirt. He thinks he may have been laying in the grass nude. Louis turns around and his eyes scan over Harry’s naked body and he hums. Harry always tells Louis he likes to be as close to the Earth as he can be when he’s high. He’s covered in sweat from the heat of the day. Louis takes his hand and tugs him into the house and out of the heat. They go into the kitchen as Louis picks up a black feline and sets it on the floor. He turns, taking two steps to the fridge before turning back around and pointing at the black cat with bright green eyes, who was not Clover.

“Harry Edward Styles Tomlinson,  _ that - that _ is a fucking mouth full. Why is there a black cat who is not Clover in the kitchen?”  

Harry sheepishly shrugs as Louis grabs a bottle of water out of the fridge and tosses it to harry before grabbing himself one. “It’s like every two weeks a bloody cat appears, are you growing them?”

Harry hums as he downs the water and sets the small empty bottle on the table. The black cat, who again is not Clover, is sitting between them on the ugly carpet of the kitchen, licking himself. Louis looks up at Harry, “He’s not fixed is he?” 

“No, I have an appointment tomorrow around three. I was going to drop him and go do some errands in town, pick him up and come home. I planned on making chicken spaghetti. Is that okay? I’ll put it in the slow cooker before I leave so when I get home I just do the pasta and add it all together and get it to get melty.”

Louis smiles and sets his half-empty bottle next to Harry’s empty one and kisses him quickly, “Sounds great love, going to go grab a quick shower.” He heads towards the small add on bathroom and finds the same folded yellow towel sitting there. He smiles to himself as he starts the shower. He loves Harry’s chicken spaghetti. He’d found a recipe for a casserole above the fridge and made it one time. Louis absolutely loved it. Chicken baked with spaghetti, cream of mushroom soup, cheese, and seasonings. Louis absolutely fell in love. One day Harry had slow cooked some chicken and near the last twenty mins boiled the pasta up and tossed everything into the slow cooker for a few minutes. It tasted even better. He always loved when Harry made it and they would eat off it for a few days, it always tasted even better the next day.

Louis steps under the hot water and leans his hands on the white shower wall and sighs with his head down, eyes closed as the heat flows across his shoulders and trails down his back. He sighs contently and tilts his neck from side to side. Tension from his shoulders easing as he watches the water go down the drain. A spiral of calmness wrapping around him and he smiles, groaning as his body relaxes. He hears a soft meow and turns around, seeing a blurry black blob at the foot of the shower door.  

He opens the shower door with a click and pokes the cat with his wet foot, the cat licks the water off his toe and he yanks his foot back, “Harry!” he yells out and glares at the small black cat who’s trying to get into the shower.

He frowns at the cat who wiggles his way into the shower, “Who do you think you are?” He’s asking the cat as Harry walks into the bathroom still naked. He has his hair wrapped in a towel though. Louis blinks at him. 

“Harry, why? I was in the tub.” He says.

Louis blinks at Harry before he sighs heavily and points at the cat who’s licking himself at the edge of the spray. Half of him getting wet “What is this?” 

“A cat,” Harry responds, cocking his hip.

“Yes, good job. Why is it in the shower, why is it in our house?” 

Harry blinks and pulls the towel off his head and reaches in and picks up the half wet cat, setting him back outside. He pushes his way into the far too small for two shower and crowds into Louis’ space. Immediately wrapping his hand around Louis’ cock.

“There is literally no room for both of us in here, Harry.” Louis takes a deep breath and feels Harry’s lips on his neck immediately following his words. He closes his eyes and forgets about the cat, letting Harry slowly begin to work his hand over him and his lips on his neck.

The next day Louis is walking through the house with a dust rag and spray, cleaning up and mouthing along to the radio in the kitchen playing. An old radio that was here when he moved in. It was set to talk radio and he set it to some country station that is filled with occasional static. He doesn’t like country but he’s found while cleaning it’s something to listen to fill the silence around them. They have an old oversized box television with knick-knacks Harry brought from home on top of it. It works and it is horrible but they rarely watch any television so don’t bother with cable, even though they could. They tend to watch Netflix on their laptops when they want to watch something besides a DVD.

They have a small television and DVD player in their bedroom but it collects dust most times. He’s cleaning the box television off and dusting over the glass knick-knacks before setting them back down in their places when a black cat starts to weave itself between his legs.

“What the-- Harry!” he calls out again like every other time he’s seen the ball of fur. He hears the dryer close and watches as Harry comes in with a load of clothes in his arms and plops them on the ugly rose velvet sofa.

Harry smiles at Louis and looks down at the cat, smiles and wiggles his fingers at him, “Hi Thyme.”

“Thyme.” Louis sighs.

Harry nods, “Mhm, like the herb. Fits with Clover.” 

“Yeah okay. But why do we have two black cats now?”

Harry sighs at Louis, “We already went over this.”

“No, this flurry blob appeared in the kitchen and then you told me about my favourite meal and got me off in the shower. You literally distracted me every time I tried discussing this.”

Harry smiles a dimple popping. He looks like he’s up to no good as he walks towards Louis. Louis backs away and holds the dust spray out. “No. We have to talk about this.” 

He walks into the guest room, as Harry crowds him, pushing him on to the bed. Louis sighs as he feels Harry’s hands moving between his legs and he shrugs, “Yeah okay let’s get to it.”

At dinner a couple of hours later he holds his fork out, waving it at Harry. “Why do we have Thyme?”

Harry frowns as he looks up from his leftover chicken spaghetti, “Traditional answer, time is nature’s way of stopping everything from happening at once. That said, I think it’s tricky to argue that time has a purpose, unless you want to get all Teleological.” 

Louis is looking at Harry with a blank expression, he sighs and places his fork down on his plate gently and wipes his mouth with a napkin before he sets it back down neatly. Pressing it into a neat square beside his fork. He clears his throat, “The fucking cat, Harry.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh. What is that? Number four? Why? Where did he come from?” 

Harry smirks, “Where did he go?”

“No.” Louis points his finger at his husband. Harry grins back.

“Can you please just answer me, why do we keep getting cats?” 

Harry shrugs as he shoves a bite of food in his mouth, chewing it before speaking. “That is the last one, I know I said it before, but I promise. He belongs to Clover.” 

“You kept distracting me when I tried to talk about it, why do that?”

“I didn’t want to start a fight over a cat that I won’t get rid of. You can’t ask me that.” 

Louis frowns, “Harry, you bred frogs for two years before we got married, why would I make you get rid of cats? Cats are why we even know each other, Gypsy is how we met. I wouldn’t start a fight, I am just trying to understand what is going on here.”

Harry nods, “I know and I am sorry. I keep sneaking them in hoping you don’t notice but, Thyme is the last one. He’s it. We have this space for them and I looked up plans to make a safe outdoor area for them using the guest bedroom window. We can open it and they can come and go safely in a safe area.”

“No more, okay?”

Harry nods and goes back to eating, his barefoot running up and down Louis’ bare leg under the ugly dining table.

★★L★★

It’s been quiet and Harry spends a lot of his time out in the barn, he is quiet also. The world around Louis is just overall quiet. Like a shift in the force that he can’t explain. He got the first part of his book back and has been working on the edits, re-reading and re-wording things. Making his mess of words actually work with the suggestions that had been made. Harry gets up early and goes out into the barn for hours on end, comes back sweaty and shirtless. He takes a shower before disappearing into the kitchen to make lunch or even dinner. They eat it in quiet, sit in the living area in quiet before going to bed in quiet. They haven’t touched, barely-there kisses as one head out the door are all that there is. He knows that Harry is human, well he suspects. Sometimes he isn’t so sure.

He’s watching from the back steps as Harry wanders out to the barn with his chin-length hair put up into two tiny buns up top his head. Sometimes he thinks that man is from a whole other realm of humans. Sometimes he is so amazed at the heart he has and would spend eternity counting the stars for Harry if he had to. And sometimes, like now, he worries because he gets in these places in his life where he just seems to exist. He works on autopilot and he moves about in quiet. It worries Louis, as he watches this happen with the cats sniffing the freshly cut grass. The sprinkler by the tree spraying while Thyme pounces on it.

Louis called a guy to come out and build a fence around their yard, very aware the cats could still jump it but it allowed some security. At least a place they could run to if needed. They are working on a closed up area that takes up the side of the house that the cats can’t get out of. Louis just told Harry to find someone to do it for them, as he had enough money to do it and he did. And now he watches as he disappears every day. He sighs and calls the cats, watching as they come in when he opens the back door. He feeds them the same time every day and it was that time as he heads to the cat room with four furry babies running ahead of him, Clover nearly tripping him.

After the cats have been fed in their separate bowls and the water changed, the litter boxes scooped. Louis is sitting on a blue chair, his feet propped up on a small stool with a book in hand when he hears the back door open and close. He listens as Harry undressed, throwing his clothes into the wash before he hears the shower turn on. Louis sighs and puts his book face down on the table beside him. He heads towards the shower, finding Harry already in it and watches the blurry silhouette of his husband. He hops up onto the counter of the small bathroom and pulls his knees to his chest, watching as Harry showers. He sighs quietly, sitting there just watching every blurry move before the shower turns off and Louis drops his legs, spreading them apart to reach down to the large drawer and pull out a soft pink towel. He’s holding it out to Harry when the door clicks open and he steps out.

Harry takes it from him with a twitch of his lip and begins to dry off, he takes two steps towards Louis and kisses him softly before he turns with the towel in hand and leaves the bathroom. Louis doesn’t follow, instead of staying where he is in the too humid bathroom with the evening sun bearing down on it making it feel hot and muggy.

Later they eat dinner, cold ham and cheese sandwiches that Louis tossed together, in quiet. Like the last few nights. Louis watches as Harry picks his food apart before he eats it. He’s eaten half of it before he sighs and gets up, dumping his food in the trash beneath the sink and dropping his plate into the sink and heads out the back door. Louis pushes his plate away and lays his head down on his arms. Nothing feels right between them and it worries him, it scares him. He loves that man with all his heart and he wishes he had a magic wand to wave and fix all his troubles.

Louis sighs and gets up, going to the back door and slipping on a pair of Harry’s sneakers before he heads out to the barn. He knows that was where Harry went because it’s the only place he goes lately. He hates that barn, it scares him and he swears he’ll walk in there and it will collapse down on him. He gets to their car and stops, kicking a large rock away from the front passenger wheel before he shakes his head and turns, heading back into the house. He feels like he is intruding and knows that in his own time, whatever is going on, Harry will share it with him. Louis heads in and goes to their bedroom, laying down with Harry’s sneakers still on his feet and closes his eyes.

It’s dark when he’s woken by Harry coming in. The soft glow of the old oil lamp on the small makeup dresser with the oversized mirror stirs him, along with the sound of Harry moving around. He’s looking through the spare drawers of the makeup dresser and curses under his breath. Louis sits up and feels something against his foot when he stretches. He rubs his eyes, seeing an all silver feline laying there. It’s small, smaller than their current cats and he sighs.

“Harry…” His voice is heavy with sleep, he doesn’t want to repeat this again. His husband is pulling cats out of his ass.

“No.” Is what he gets back and he frowns, getting out of bed and going over to Harry who is now trying to reach something off the top shelf in Louis’ side of the closet. Louis grabs the step stool and gets on it. Reaching for a white box and handing it to Harry.

Harry sighs and takes it, setting it on the bed before he opens it and pulls out a small throw blanket. It was a gift from some of the church ladies when Louis moved in. He tossed it up in the closet, out of the way and forgot about it. He kind of feels bad now, remembering the blanket. He watches as Harry wraps the silver cat up and goes into the kitchen, Louis following close behind.

“Why do you have another cat?” Louis tries, his voice calm and quiet.

Harry turns, looking at him before he sighs and takes the cat wrapped in a blanket over to Louis and Louis takes the cat. He looks down at the cat and smiles. The pupils are large, giving a black-eyed cat look. Louis immediately falls in love with the cat.

He hears his name and looks up, Harry is out by the back door so Louis follows with the silver shorthair in his arms. He follows Harry to the barn and he halts halfway, “Uhm. Why are we going into the barn? You know I hate the barn.” 

Harry turns around and walks over to Louis and puts his hand on the small of his back before guiding him through the dark towards the barn. Louis goes but doesn’t want to. Letting his husband lead the way. Harry opens the heavy barn door for him and when Louis walks in he isn’t sure what he expected. But a large area rug with some old throw pillows and blankets with a standing lamp wasn't it. He can see the mess of the actual barn through a doorway behind the first room. The first room that has been cleaned up and looks nothing like it did.

“So one day, I was out here cleaning up and I heard this noise in that small room beside you. I opened the door expecting a wild animal or something which may have been a stupid idea but.” He shrugs before he continues on,  “I found a cat that had given birth. I let her be, figuring mother nature would do its own thing. But she rejected four kittens. She rejected four babies and your holding the last one. She is a runt and she kept taking her and moving her from the litter before she would move them all over the barn. I would come out here and try to get her to take them but she wouldn’t. She left and so I went to the guy with the cattle and told him. He took them in for a while but they have the cattle shows.” Louis nodded as he watched Harry walking around before he sat down. 

Louis walks over to him and sits beside him. Petting the silver feline in his arms.

“So he told me what to do and I had intended to just help them get up and put them up for adoption. I put a post up on a Facebook page for the town and no one responded. The longer time went on…”

“You got attached.” Louis finished his sentence and Harry nodded. 

“So, I snuck them in under your nose.” Louis chuckled and leaned over and kissed Harry on the cheek.

“So what’s been going on lately? I’ve been so worried about you, love.”

“I realised something was wrong with her and I got scared. She wouldn’t eat and sometimes she would. I took her to the vet last week and she fixed her and told me she was blind. She said it was hard to take care of a blind cat and it overwhelmed me. Out of all the cats, I fell in love with her the most. Don’t get me wrong, I love all of them. They’re our babies. But with her, I was scared because she would get away from the others and get lost and just meow. I made a pillow wall out of all these old pillows I had found and it kind of helped. But then I found her way in the other end earlier this week and she wasn’t eating and I got scared.”

“You’ve been out here taking care of a cat? Harry, why not just tell me?”

“Because I said no more, Louis. And I lied.” He reached over and touched the silver feline, his index finger running between her eyes.

She began to purr and Louis sighed, “Love, I am so endeared by you right now. I was never mad, maybe a little frustrated because my husband is pulling cats out of his ass and I thought it was all so cute. But I thought something was wrong with you and I didn’t know what to do.”

Harry leaned over and kissed Louis gently before smiling, “I’m sorry. I was just focused on her and worried about her. I wanted her to be okay and she started to be. But it started to rain and she got wet and so I brought her in and you woke up. Now we are out here.”

Louis looked down at the cat and brought her tiny head up to his face. He rubbed his cheek over her silver fur and closed his eyes. “She’s so precious. They all are and if I have to have a cat family, there is no one else I’d rather have it with than you.” 

Harry wrapped his arms around Louis gently, not to disturb the cat in Louis’ arms and hugged me. “I love you”

“I love you, can we please go inside, this barn scares me.”

Harry nodded and got up, helping Louis to get up also. They headed back inside and Louis sat the cat down in the floor. Watching as she nodded her head around, sniffing the air. She mewed softly, Gypsy who’d been on the sofa hopped down and walked over to her with caution before rubbing against the smaller feline. She used her paw to gently bring her in and began to bathe her. 

Louis looked over at Harry who looked like he was near tears, “She’s going to be okay and we are going to keep her. She’ll be taken care of by us and Gypsy.” 

“We need to name her,” Harry said and Louis looked at him.

“You mean you didn’t?”

Harry shook his head, “Nothing felt right.”

“Indica,”

Harry snorted, “Really? A type of cannabis plant?”

Harry looked over at the silver cat and shrugged, “Yeah alright.” Louis smiled at him.

Louis walked over to Harry and wrapped his arms around him, kissing him deeply. Harry kissed back with a content sigh and Louis could feel Harry relax in his arms. He pulled back and nosed along Harry’s neck, “That better be the last cat.” 

Harry nodded as he tilted his head to the side, allowing Louis to place kisses down his neck, stopping at his collar bone, “It is, promise.”

★★L★★

Louis was wrapping up his work on another book a year and a half later, way ahead of schedule but he was so happy to be doing it. It wasn’t a part of the series and it had been a fun idea he’d gotten a couple of years earlier. The idea for a children’s book about cats growing from a garden. He’d gotten a friend of his, Zayn, to do art for it and they both created ideas for the book. He was excited and his editor was too because he was still working on Louis with the book for the series. That was on its final draft finally and was set to publish in the next few months. It had been a long time coming and Louis was absolutely thrilled. 

He and Harry began the discussion on adopting a human, not just cats. They had five now and Indica, the blind one was doing amazingly. Their cat habitat to the outdoors world was finished and they even had a guy come out and make a cat door for Indica so she could go out safely. She adapted to the house and was doing very well. Louis had just finished printing off his book and was putting a copy in a large envelope to mail out to Zayn so he had paper copies when the front door opened and closed. He glanced up to see Harry smiling at him as he came in. He sat the envelope on the dining table he used to write at in the makeshift dining room between the half wall of the kitchen and the living area.

Harry’s baking had taken off and he even opened up a small bakery near the railroad and the cotton gin. The farmers visited a lot and many of the mother’s in town loved it and would call him for all the events they had. Life was busy some days and some days life was slow. But ultimately, it was good. 

Louis was smiling to himself as he looked up. An orange blob ran into the kitchen and he frowned. 

“Harry.”

“No more. I promise.”

“What the fuck?” 

Louis walked into the kitchen to find a small labrador licking from a bowl by Harry’s feet. Louis sighed and left the kitchen.   
  



End file.
